coronavirus

noun

co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs 

plural coronaviruses

1

: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19

Coronaviruses can cause a variety of illnesses in animals, but in people coronaviruses cause one-third of common colds and sometimes respiratory infections in premature infants.

—Rob Stein

… in 2003 a previously unknown coronavirus caused an outbreak of SARS in humans.

—Ali Moh Zaki et al.

—abbreviation CoV, CV

2

: an illness caused by a coronavirus

especially : covid-19

Italy has seen the most coronavirus cases in Europe, with more than 2,000 people ill and 76 deaths associated with COVID-19.

—Dayton (Ohio) Daily News

—abbreviation CV

Examples of coronavirus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Legislators from both parties have pushed for even more resources for an industry severely harmed by the coronavirus pandemic. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

That changed in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic forced people inside and online, leading to a spike in streaming viewership — and a concurrent rise in discussion on Letterboxd. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026

During the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020, Massie forced every member of the House to defy stay-at-home orders and return to Washington for a vote on a $2 trillion relief package that both Republican and Democratic leaders had hoped to pass without a full vote. —Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026

Stephanie Kozar, Milan Township’s clerk, said in an email to ProPublica that most residents opposed solar projects on agricultural land, and that the initial ordinance passed during the coronavirus pandemic, before officials had adequately informed residents about potential changes. —Anna Clark, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

corona + virus, later taken as New Latin

Note: The word was introduced by a group of virologists as a short article "Coronaviruses" in the "News and Views" section of Nature (vol. 220, no. 5168, November 16, 1968, p. 650): "… avian infectious bronchitis virus has a characteristic electron microscopic appearance resembling, but distinct from, that of myxoviruses. Particles are more or less rounded in profile … there is also a characteristic 'fringe' of projections 200 Å long, which are rounded or petal shaped, rather than sharp or pointed, as in the myxoviruses. This appearance, recalling the solar corona, is shared by mouse hepatitis virus … . In the opinion of the eight virologists these viruses are members of a previously unrecognized group which they suggest should be called the coronaviruses, to recall the characteristic appearance by which these viruses are identified in the electron microscope."

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing coronavirus

• coronavirus disease

Rhymes for coronavirus

• adenovirus
• baculovirus
• enterovirus
• poliovirus
• antivirus
• herpesvirus
• parvovirus
• reovirus
• retrovirus
• rhinovirus
• rotavirus
• cytomegalovirus

Kids Definition

coronavirus

noun

co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs 

1

: a virus that infects birds and many mammals including humans

2

: an illness caused by a coronavirus

especially : covid-19

Medical Definition

coronavirus

noun

co·​ro·​na·​vi·​rus kə-ˈrō-nə-ˌvī-rəs 

1

: any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large, single-stranded, RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins , infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of feline infectious peritonitis, COVID-19, MERS, and SARS

Coronaviruses are a large, diverse group of viruses that affect many animal species. A few of these viruses cause a wide range of respiratory illness in humans, typically with "common cold" symptoms.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

—abbreviation CoV, CV

2

: an illness caused by a coronavirus

especially : covid-19

—abbreviation CV